Student Music Activities
The following music activities provide opportunities for development of proficiency in performance and for personal enjoyment for the performer, the university, and the community. Many of the ensembles are auditioned and are used to fulfill the music ensemble requirement for Music majors. Performing opportunities are available to all students. For more information, students should contact the School of Music.
The Masterworks Chorus is a large choir comprised of members from the other select choirs on campus. The group performs masterpieces of choral literature.
The College Symphony Orchestra is open to all students by audition and offers complete instrumentation and a repertoire of major works of classical, romantic, and modern orchestral and operatic literature. Maintaining high standards, it performs several times each year.
The College Chamber Orchestra is a more select ensemble.
The Fredonia Wind Ensemble is the premier wind/percussion ensemble in the School of Music. It performs a wide variety of repertoire consisting of contemporary, historical, and standard wind works that range from chamber music to literature that utilizes the full ensemble.
The Fredonia Wind Symphony is a select ensemble that utilizes the full resources of the large wind/percussion ensemble to perform outstanding wind ensemble and concert band works from a wide variety of styles and music periods.
The Fredonia Concert Band performs the finest in traditional and contemporary literature composed for the wind ensemble and concert band. The repertoire is drawn from a variety of genres and stylistic periods, with an emphasis on the standard band repertoire. The Concert Band is open to all students by audition, regardless of major.
The Fredonia All-College Band is a unique mixture of music majors, students from all academic disciplines, and community members. The combination creates a dynamic environment that provides an opportunity for the entire Fredonia community to perform music at a high level, without the pressure of an auditioned ensemble. The All-College Band performs music from the traditional band and wind ensemble repertoire. The All-College Band is open to all students on a space-available basis, regardless of major, and no audition is required for participation.
Jazz Ensemble opportunities are available through the School of Music and through the Fredonia Jazz Workshop, a student organization. There are several groups including two flagship large ensemebles and a number of instrumental and vocal combos from high skilled touring groups to training ensembles dedicated to teaching the art of jazz interpretation and improvisation. All jazz groups work together to foster a wider understanding of jazz through the exploration and performance of a variety of styles.
The Fredonia Chamber Choir, a group of mixed voices selected by individual auditions for musical ability, flexibility, quality, and rhythmic sense, performs frequently both on and off campus.
The College Choir, with approximately 60 selected mixed voices, studies and performs major choral works in addition to standard sacred and secular music. .
The Fredonia Camerata studies and performs sacred and secular literature from all style periods.
The University Chorus is the largest choral ensemble on campus, ranging in size from 130 to over 200 singers in any given semester. Its membership comprises university faculty members and people from the community-at-large, as well as Music majors (vocal and instrumental) and students from other academic disciplines. The University Chorus rehearses and performs a wide variety of music each semester. No audition is required for membership.
Flute Ensemble - performs music composed or arranged for flutes.
Guitar Ensemble and Guitar Quartet - ensemble of 12 guitar majors and quartet, both touring groups, perform transcriptions and original music.
Percussion Ensemble - performs mainly contemporary works.
African Drumming Ensemble - performs African music with particular emphasis on the music of Ghana. Practical instruction in traditional instrumental techniques. Admittance to the ensemble is by permission of the instructor.
Piano Ensemble - systematic study in piano sight reading and accompanying.
Saxophone Ensemble - performs original and transcribed works.
Small Ensembles - perform basically chamber ensemble literature and include woodwind, string and brass trios, quartets and quintets, and clarinet and trombone choirs.
The Opera Theatre Workshop provides a workshop situation for students to deal with repertoire that has limited production requirements. The wide range of possible experiences provided includes performing, conducting, directing, design and management.
The Music Educators National Conference, Student Chapter 151 at SUNY Fredonia, is affiliated with the New York State School Music Association. The activities of the chapter encourage professional interests and ideals.
The Music Therapy Club is affiliated with the Mid-Atlantic Region and national chapters of the National Association for Music Therapy. Activities of the club encourage the professional interests and growth of the students entering the field of music therapy.
Other student music groups include various a cappella groups, student chapters of the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) and American String Teachers Association (ASTA), Conductor's Guild, Ethos (new music association), Fredonia Bass Society, Fredonia Brass Association, Fredonia’s Divine Sound Gospel Choir, Fredonia Guitar Society, Fredonia Jazz Workshop, Fredonia Student Keyboard Association (FSKA), Fredonia Trombone Workshop, Fredonia Woodwind Association, Improv Collective, Musicological Society, New York State Band Directors Association Collegiate Chapter (NYSBDA), Noteworthy (show choir), Percussion Guild, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, Ring Road Singers, Sigma Alpha Iota (SAI), Student National Association of Teachers of Singing (SNATS), Student Opera Theatre Association (SOTA), Tonmeisters (sound recording technology),and the Ukulele Club.